Eating and Drinking Guidelines

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Tips for Preparing your Child for a Procedure

It is very important to carefully follow the eating and drinking guidelines to prevent your child’s operation from being delayed or canceled. To decrease the risk of complications associated with vomiting, your child’s stomach must be empty before surgery.

Do not have any food or candy after midnight on the day of the surgery. They include

Meat

Egg

Candy

Cereal

Apple sauce

It is ok to have clear liquids up to 2 hours before arrival time: They include

Water and clear soda (such as Sprite)

Popsicles (no pulp, no milk)

Apple juice (pulp-free)

Sports drinks (such as Gatorade)

Gelatin without fruit (such as Jell-O)

It is ok for your child to have formula or milk up to 6 hours before arrival time.

If your child is breast-fed, you may continue to breast-feed until four hours before the scheduled surgery time.

Special note: While we would never advise their use, on the day of surgery do not smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs. These can cause your surgery to be unsafe and cancelled.

To learn how to prepare your child, and his or her siblings, emotionally for surgery, visit Talking to Your Child.

Dining on Call

With more than 20 specialized menus, patients can order what they want, right to their room.